PANASONIC VP J. MICHAEL BRINKMAN DIES

SECAUCUS, NJ - Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Company announced today the death of J. Michael Brinkman, its Vice President of Strategic Business Development. Mr. Brinkman died Sunday, March 16 in Santa Clarita, CA.

"Michael Brinkman was a dedicated, talented executive and the entire Panasonic community will miss the invaluable contributions he made in furthering the company's initiatives in the broadcast and production industries," said John Baisley, President, Panasonic Broadcast. "Our heartfelt sorrow and prayers are with his wife and family during this difficult time."

Mr. Brinkman was a 16-year Panasonic employee, and most recently was responsible for Panasonic Broadcast's strategic business development activities. He directed the company's innovative Technology Partnering Program where he worked with more than 30 of the industry's leading manufacturers to incorporate Panasonic's leading digital compression technologies into their products and systems.

Mr. Brinkman was a long-time member of the Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers (SMPTE), the International Teleproduction Society (ITS), a founding member of the Hollywood Post Alliance as well as active in numerous other industry organizations. He sat on the board of directors of groups as diverse as USC's Entertainment Technology Center, The Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, and the AAF Association. Prior to joining Panasonic, he was an award-winning producer-director working in the fields of documentary and education production.